The Bowers House to Home program

House to Home is The Bower’s social impact program that turns empty properties into safe, functional homes for people emerging from homelessness, domestic violence, or other crises. Working with frontline housing support agencies and housing providers, we source quality pre-loved furniture and household essentials, repair and safety-check them, and deliver complete home setups during the delivery, so clients can walk into a space that immediately supports stability, dignity and a fresh start.

The Role

As a House to Home Volunteer, you are the final point of quality control. You will work alongside our truck team and program managers to ensure that every donated item—from refrigerators to dining tables—are cleaned, tested, and prepared to the highest standard before they reaches their new home. This is a hands-on role that combines physical activity with the rewarding knowledge that your work directly improves someone’s quality of life.

Commitment: 0.5 to 1 day per week or fortnight (flexible based on collection volumes).

Location: The Bower, Summer Hill at the inner West Sustainability Hub. 7 Prospect Road, Summer Hill, 2130.

Key Duties

1. Appliance Preparation: Deep cleaning and functional testing of washing machines, dryers, and fridges (following safety clearance by our technical team).

2. Furniture Restoration: Cleaning and preparing furniture items offloaded from our collection truck to ensure they are ready for rehoming.

3. Warehouse Stewardship: Assisting with the weekly organization and maintenance of the House to Home warehouse and truck bay to ensure a safe and efficient workspace.

4. Logistics Support: Helping the truck team with the organized movement of stock within the facility.

Skills and Experience Needed

1. Team Collaboration: Ability to work effectively within a group and distribute tasks fairly.

2. Physical Fitness: Comfort being on your feet for several hours and performing manual labor. You should be able to lift semi-heavy items (dollies and trolleys are provided for heavy loads).

3. Resilience: You must be comfortable "getting your hands dirty"—some donations require heavy-duty cleaning to bring them back to their best.

4. Values Alignment: An authentic enthusiasm for reuse and the mission of the circular economy.

Requirements

A valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) is required for this role.

Desirable Skills

1. Basic Repair Skills: Experience with simple furniture fixes (e.g., tightening handles, fixing legs or knobs) is a huge plus.

2. Technical Certification: A current Test & Tag certificate to assist with electrical screening is highly desirable but not essential.

The Impact & Benefits

This role offers a unique "double-win": you are preventing perfectly usable items from entering the waste stream while directly helping individuals and families who need these items the most set up their new homes and new lives.

Social Impact: See the tangible result of your work as items are prepared for rehoming.

Skills Development: Gain experience in warehouse logistics, resource recovery, and basic furniture maintenance.

Community: Work with a dedicated, heart-centered team in a supportive environment.

How to Apply

If you are reliable, hardworking and want to make a difference in your local community, we would love to hear from you. Please apply via the portal and confirm that you hold (or are willing to obtain) a Working with Children Check.

Note: Please mention your availability (weekly or fortnightly) in your application.